Immigrants Quote by Jessie Reyez
“When I went to school, I didn't know a lick of English, but it was okay because there were so many immigrants in the area, a lot of the kids didn't speak a lick of English, either. It was normal to have a wicked accent.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: 2020 interview with Jessie Reyez, CBC Radio
The speaker reflects on learning English amidst a multilingual community, showing that language barriers are common and accepted in immigrant neighborhoods.
In simple terms: Immigrants often share language challenges, making accents normal.
Key Takeaway
Embrace diverse accents and support language learners.
Themes
immigration
language learning
diversity
Mood
empathetic
reflective
Type
personal
social.
When to use this quote
- school
- community centers
- language classes
- peer support
Key Concepts
multilingualism
social integration
identity formation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can schools better support non‑native speakers?
- What role do peers play in language confidence?
A Different Perspective
Accent bias can still lead to discrimination despite normalization.
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
![“Most incredibly, because to me this is unbelievable, we have no idea who these [immigrants] are, where they come from. I always say Trojan Horse.” quote by Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a4c/donald-trump-18_horse_most-incredibly-because-to-me-this-is-un_20860.jpg)
